It’s time for another edition of What We’re Watching. This week we’re watching the stoner buddy comedy/drama Pineapple Express.

Sure, Pineapple Express might feel like an odd choice given the movie came out in 2008. That seems so long ago. It kinda was. But if being stuck at home during a pandemic showed us one thing, it’s you need to entertain yourself. 

One way we enjoy entertaining ourselves is pretty much the same way most of the people in this movie do. So yes, Pineapple Express is a fine choice for us . . . and it might be for you too. 

The movie is very funny and features great performances by stars Seth Rogen and James Franco (especially Franco). We do find the shift in tone from stoner buddy comedy/drama to violent gore fest rather abrupt and it does dampen our enjoyment of the movie somewhat.

While we do realize what the gang who made the film were going for, it just doesn’t quite land with this one. But even so, the film managed to be very successful and profitable, so obviously it didn’t bother a lot of other people. We were just hoping for more, as always. Opinions differ, and that’s cool. 

Rogen and company do a much better job pulling this off with the more recent This is the End. We really like that one. Don’t worry, we’re gonna watch that again soon and will be posting about it.

Until then, watch Pineapple Express and entertain yourself. It really is quite fun, not matter where your head’s at.

Oh, if you do decide to enjoy this movie, partake in other related products (or both), please do so responsibly. We don’t advocate breaking the law and certainly aren’t encouraging you to do so.

Sorry, our lawyers made us say that. But yeah, try to be cool.

Pineapple Express stars Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny McBride, Amber Heard, Gary Cole, Rosie Perez, Craig Robinson and a host of other great actors. It’s written by Rogen and Evan Goldberg, produced by Judd Apatow and directed by David Gordon Green. Check out the trailer below. 

Get On Up does two things magnificently well, and they’re related: It conveys the batshit craziness of both James Brown and Little Richard, which is quite a feat and aided in no small part from Chadwick Boseman as Brown and Brandon Mychal Smith as Richard. The two give performances so captivating that it’s worth seeing the film simply to indulge in their fascinating performances.

That Get On Up would be well acted is probably no surprise, but it is a surprise that they can almost carry the entire 138-minute film. Almost. And that the music is phenomenal shouldn’t be a surprise either. I’m not sure if Boseman performed all the songs, but I’m fairly certain he did his own dancing, and both are wisely indulgent, wisely for this film, which at least does know how to put on a show.

Director Tate Taylor (The Help) and writers Jez and John-Henry Butterworth nail many of the character moments, but never quite get around to understanding their subject. The first thirty minutes or so jumps back and forth through so many different periods that if there’s a linear story buried in there, I missed it. Even more, if there’s something that “made” Brown the man he became, the film doesn’t seem very interested in it, which would be fine, but it does need some kind of connecting thread to tie the movie together.

I’ve had, for some time, the suspicion that the current comedy troop of Rogen, Hill, Cera, and Franco would eventually get to the point where, instead of a script, they would just sit around and talk. Now we have This Is the End, and if this isn’t the logical conclusion of the gang’s comedy, it’s damn close.

The premise is that Jay Baruchel is in LA to visit his friend Seth Rogen. Their friendship has been on the skids, and Rogen’s insistence that they attend a party at James Franco’s house instead of, I don’t know, hang out and smoke weed. doesn’t help. At Franco’s they meet up with Craig Robinson, Jonah Hill, and several others within or slightly out of their group’s ever-expanding radius, such as Aziz Ansari, Mindy Kaling, Martin Starr, Chritopher Mintz-Plasse, and now, I guess, Emma Watson.

Freak disruptions start to occur all over the place — sinkholes swallow up many of the party-goers, others are lifted to heaven in columns of blue light, fires explode across Hollywood, and the five find themselves barricaded in Franco’s house — until Danny McBride shows up and makes their sixth.

Diane here and fresh off  the red carpet premiere of Universal Studios’ Hollywood latest attraction, King Kong 360 3D.  If you have a chance to swing on by this summer, it is worth the wait.

Yesterday while walking among a 360lb Bengal Tiger, a 13 foot Python, a feisty monkey, and tribal dancers who kept on telling me to touch their dinosaur bones I became entranced with the world of Skull Island and a gorilla who’s eaten one too many Big Macs.

I was not alone, The Office’s Craig Robinson, Oscar Nunez, and Kate Flannery, along with Kevin Smith, Yvette Nicole Brown of Community, Wayne Brady,Wanted and King Kong’s Thomas Kretschmann, and a very shy Christopher Lloyd were all there sampling the gourmet apps and reveling in a filmed introduction to the experience by none other than a slimmed down Peter Jackson in 3D.

Fortunately, each week brings a new chance to see a great movie or TV show that you’ve never seen before. Or, you can go back and watch something you’ve seen a hundred times and still enjoy it. Both of these things are possible because new moves and TV programs come out on Blu-ray and DVD each and every week.

This week brings some titles, new and old, that we’re excited about including The Warlords, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, season one of Warehouse 13 and the Blu-ray releases of The Crazies remake and Hot Tub Time Machine (pictured above with Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Rob Corddry and John Cusack).

Movies

Brotherhood VI: Initiation (2009) ~ Tyson Breech, Burke Carter (Blu-ray and DVD)

Creation ~ Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly (Blu-ray and DVD)

Don McKay ~ Thomas Haden Church, Elisabeth Shue (Blu-ray and DVD)

Hot Tub Time Machine ~ John Cusack, Clark Duke (Blu-ray and DVD)

New York Confidential ~ Broderick Crawford, Anne Bancroft (DVD)

Night Train to Munich (Criterion Collection) ~ Margaret Lockwood, Rex Harrison (DVD)

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief ~ Logan Lerman (Blu-ray and DVD)

At this point, what can I really tell you that you don’t know about Shrek? Unless you have been living under a tree stump in a swamp, chances are you are very familiar with the franchise about a lovable green ogre and a colorful cast of characters pulled from popular children’s fairy tales.

In this probable last movie of the franchise, Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) is knee-deep in diapers and devilish toddler antics, and he’s not exactly digging the whole domestic thing. The realities of family life are weighing him down, and a disastrous birthday party is the last straw.

As is typical of most parents, he fondly recalls the pre-marriage and pre-kids days as being much better than they actually were. You know, that whole “the grass is always greener” mentality everyone falls victim to from time to time. In his delicate emotional state he becomes easy pickings for the shady Rumpelstiltskin, who offers Shrek one day as his former playboy self.

For good or bad, you can never judge the quality of an Office episode by the cold open alone, since it tends to have little or nothing to do with the rest of the episode. Still, the image of Stanley struggling to do 26 pushups so he can go home early is funny, but the quiet voice in the crowd that says, “Alright, Papa Bear,” elevates it to the ranks of greatness—and I’m pleased to say that it does indeed set the tone for the rest of the show.

Like the best episodes, Happy Hour contains multiple plotlines as well as a few peeks into the lives of the supporting characters. This time it’s Oscar’s ongoing pursuit of warehouse-worker Matt. Unfortunately, Oscar’s been out of the game a little too long, and his idea of pitching woo is showing up to work early to exchange some quick words and sheepishly asking Darryl to invite his co-workers to an office-wide happy hour.

Oscar in turn invites the office out for an evening of fun and drinks to what appears to be a Chuck E. Cheese’s with booze. Jim tries to weasel out using his daughter as an excuse, but Pam, desperate for a night away from the baby, immediately takes Jim up on his half-hearted offer and invites a friend along as a possible hook up with Michael.

Meanwhile, Erin and Andy struggle with keeping their relationship a secret to avoid the drama that comes with office romances. Fearing their co-workers are on to them, they decide to avoid each other and eventually end up flirting with some of the other patrons, until Erin’s groping of a complete stranger’s leg (her concept of flirting is derived solely from television, isn’t that adorable?) gets Andy jealous.

It’s like Christmas Eve here at The Flickcast offices today. Why? Because we’re only hours away from the midnight release of MGM’s Hot Tub Time Machine. If you haven’t caught it, we’ve been doing extensive coverage of the upcoming flick with our review, clips, and even an interview with star Rob Corddry.

Well, the goodies don’t stop there, as we’re bringing you four brand new clips from the movie, hot off the presses and ready for you to check out. For those still not in “the know”, Hot Tub Time Machine stars Rob Corddry, John Cusack, Craig Robinson (The Office), and Clark Duke (Kick-Ass, Sex Drive) in a comedy about 4 friends that get transported back to 1986 in a mystical–wait for it–hot tub.

Check out the clips after the jump, and be sure to catch Hot Tub Time Machine when it hits select theaters nationally at midnight tonight, and every theater nationally tomorrow.

Very rarely does a film come along that incites interest and excitement from the title alone. Not since Snakes on a Plane has a film done this to a mass audience, and unfortunately, the excitement of that title led to an underwhelming payoff in the film itself. Luckily, we fans of comedy and cult cinema get a second chance at happiness with the upcoming release of Hot Tub Time Machine.

I’ll admit, after hearing about the title, seeing who was in the cast, and getting a peek at the first trailer, I was ready to get excited about the film, which is never a good sign. Thankfully, in checking out a screening of the flick, not only does it hold up to its ironic title, but kills with its spot-on writing and nonstop visual humor.

I’d explain the premise to you, but if you’re going into a movie called Hot Tub Time Machine and you’re looking for some kind of Notebook style story that you can sell to your wife or girlfriend, you’re out of luck. This movie is roughly 90 minutes of hilarity, done in a setting of science fiction. If Bill and Ted graduated from San Dimas High School, grew up,  went through a few failed marriages, and had a drinking problem, they would be the characters in Hot Tub.

Today begins the official one week countdown for the release of potentially one of the funniest movies of this year, Hot Tub Time Machine. We’ve been gearing up our coverage of the film, with some great clips and a review of the official iPhone App, now we’ve got an even better goodie for you.

Straight from our pals at MGM, we got our hands on a restricted (or “red band”) clip from the film, starring the four main characters played by John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, and Clark Duke. The clip is restricted for some shouting and violent dialogue, but nothing that you should be timid about if you plan on seeing the movie next week.

We don’t want to spoil it for you, so check out the hilarious clip after the jump, and be sure to catch our coverage of Hot Tub Time Machine all next week, leading up to the film’s national theatrical release on March 26th. By clicking through, you certify you are 18 years of age or older.